Farmers in Zhumadian, Central China’s Henan province, water their fields on Tuesday. Authorities announced the activation of a Level 4 emergency response for drought disaster prevention in eight provincial-level regions. Photo: VCG

Farmers water their fields by hose in Zhumadian. The county has been without effective rainfall for 57 consecutive days. Photo: VCG

A thermometer placed in a field in Zhumadian shows the mercury reaching over 50 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. Photo: VCG

Uncovered and bone dry greenhouses in Huaibei, East China’s Anhui province, lie devoid of vegetables. Photo: VCG

Farmers lay drip irrigation pipes to water newly sown corn in Liaocheng in the eastern province of Shandong on Thursday. Photo: VCG

Corn seedlings sprout in a field after being watered on Wednesday, in Luohe, Henan. As of that day, the total area in the province that could not be sown due to drought reached 3.23 million mu (approximately 215,333 hectares). Photo: VCG

Farmers in Pingdingshan, Henan use sprinklers to water their fields on Thursday. Photo: VCG

Farmers water their fields during the night of June 4 in Zhumadian. Photo: VCG